Bucher
]] Bucher is a Swiss agricultural machinery manufacturer, that was founded in 1807 as a blacksmithes and that built tractors for a period from 1953 until the 1973 in addition to a growing range of agricultural and industrial machinery. They also built a multipurpose tractor in the 1990s, the Polytrac. Today Bucher Industries AG is a diversified manufacture of agricultural machinery, food process machinery, glassware machinery, hydraulic systems and municipal equipment. Company history The company started as a Blacksmith's Shop in the town of Niederweningen, Switlerland. At the end of the war years, Bucher undertook an extensive development period with different engine and transmission options including water-cooled engines from Peugeot, Allis Chalmers, Guldner and MWM were to be fitted. From 1953 to 1973, Bucher built 4,948 tractors in Niederweningen, Switzerland. Timeline The development of the Company is illustrated in this timeline;www.bucherguyer.ch History * 1807 Heinrich Bucher(-Weiss) (1784-1850) ran the Murzeln blacksmith's shop in Niederweningen, Switlerland. * 1817 A fire destroyed the blacksmith's shop, and a new "factory" was built by the Surb river. * 1844 Heinrich Bucher(-Bucher) (1815-1876) took over the blacksmith's shop. * 1853 Water power now drove the bellows and hammer in the workshop where agricultural implements were made. * 1871 Johann Bucher(-Manz) (1843-1919) took over the business. 4 employees. * 1874 Business registered as "Johann Bucher, mechanische Werkstätte, Fabrikation von mechanischen Bestandteilen landwirtschaftlicher Maschinen". * 1890 Bucher was also selling imported agricultural machinery. * 1891 The Wehntal railway was opened, with Niederweningen as its terminus. * 1891-1900 Bucher had great success as agents for the USA built McCormick mowers. * 1895 Collaboration with Fahr in Gottma-dingen, Germany. Importing fork hay tedders. * 1896 Company renamed "Maschinenfabrik Johann Bucher-Manz, Niederweningen". now expanded to 30 employees. * 1897 A Sulzer 25 hp Stationary steam engine powered some 30 machine tools in the factory. * 1901 Create the First hydraulic fruit press using a 600 bar (8,400 psi) high pressure pump. * 1904 Jean Bucher (-Guyer) (1875-1961) took over the company's management. * 1918 Company renamed "Maschinenfabrik Jean Bucher-Guyer". 150 employees. * 1921 The "Luna" centrifugal slurry pump found a ready market in Switzerland and abroad. * 1923 "Maschinenfabrik Johann Bucher" established in Griessen, Südbaden. * 1931 The "Mostfritz" fruit press won new customer groups. * 1934 A horse-drawn mower with an auxiliary engine was Bucher's first motorized agricultural machine. * 1934 Walter Hauser(-Bucher) (1904-1967) gradually took over the running of the business. Company had grown to 215 employees in Niederweningen, 40 in Griessen. * 1940 First presses for the plastics industry. * 1945 First "Record" two-wheel power mower. (By 2003, a total of 116,000 two-wheel motor-driven machines had been delivered). * 1946 Bucher-Guyer acquired a stake in Kuhn, a French agricultural machinery manufacturer in Saverne. * 1950 The Bucher KT 10 'walking' tractor went into production. * In 1951 company became Bucher-Guyer AG * In '1954' Bucher at the "Landi" event in Lucerne presented to the public, three models of the new Bucher tractor range for the first time; ** D 1800, 24 hp (2 cylinder MWM diesel engine, air-cooled ) ** D 1700, 24 hp (2-cylinder MWM diesel engine, water cooled ) ** P 2100, 28 HP (4-cylinder Allis Chalmers petrol engine, water cooled ) * In 1955 - two additional models were offered: ** B 1500 (4-cylinder 1.5 ltr later a 1.7 ltr petrol engine from Opel) ** D 1700 now with a different engine from Mercedes (4 cylinder OM 636) * From 1962, the Bucher company was the main importer of Guyer, and Fiat Tractors. But still built Bucher tractors the plant in Niederweningen. * 1969 Gyrorakes, and later mower conditioners, went into production under licence from ?. * 1972 First TS thermoset injection moulding machine. * 1973 The Bucher company ceases tractor production (1957 in another source ?). * 1984 Bucher restructured with a group holding structure put in place. "Bucher Holding AG" established. * 1986 Bucher Holding went public, and listed on the stock exchange. * 1986 Grape press manufacturer CMMC acquired and in 1994 Vaslin Bucher created. * Since 1987 Kuhn Group expanded with the acquisitions of; ** Huard in 1987, ** Audureau in 1993, ** Nodet in 1996, ** Knight in 2002, ** Metasa in 2005. * 1989 Laeis GmbH purchased and renamed Laeis-Bucher. * 1991 Rolba sweeper and snow blower business acquired. * 1993 Rolba merged with Bucher-Guyer * 1994 Schörling truck-mounted sweeper business acquired and Bucher-Schörling established. * 1994 Bucher Hydraulics expanded with the acquisitions; ** Hidroirma in 1994, ** Beringer Hydraulik in 1996, ** Hydrotechnik Frutigen in 1997. * 1994-2002 A total of 3600 "Duro" all-terrain vehicles delivered, of which 3000 went to the Swiss army. * 1996 Core businesses reorganized into product based divisions; ** Kuhn Group - agricultural machinery, ** Bucher Municipal - vehicles, ** Bucher Process - food processing, ** Bucher Hydraulics - hydraulic components, ** Laeis-Bucher - machinery (since sold). * 1998 Emhart Glass acquired as another core business. * 2000 Bucher Holding AG became Bucher Industries AG. * 2002 Philip Mosimann appointed chief executive officer, Rudolf Hauser chairman of the board. * 2003 Power mower business sold, marking the end of agricultural machinery manufacturing at the Niederweningen site. (sold to who ?) * 2003 "Duro" all-terrain vehicle business sold (to who ? ). * 2003 Remaining operations of the former (Laeis-Bucher) machine division sold. * 2005 UK-based Johnston Sweepers business acquired. * 2007 Bucher Hydraulics acquired US-based Monarch Hydraulics. Group companies The Group is split into several business areas Bucher Specials Bucher Specials consists of several independent businesses: * Bucher Vaslin - Winemaking equipment - headquartered in Chalonnes-sur-Loire, France, with other manufacturing facilities in France, New Zealand and Chile. * Bucher Foodtech - fruit juice processing equipment - headquartered in Niederweningen, Switzerland; * (Bucher Drytech - food drying and sludge dewatering technologies - headquartered in Niederweningen * Bucher Landtechnik - the Swiss distributorship for tractors and agricultural machinery - based at the Niederweningen facility. Bucher Hydraulics Hydraulic systems manufacture. Bucher Hydraulics is an international leader in the design and manufacture of custom mobile and industrial hydraulic system solutions. With manufacturing facilities and sales companies in Europe, Asia and the USA. Products include elevator drives, integrated electronics control systems, motors, power units, pumps, valves. Bucher Municipal Bucher Municipal is a leading supplier of municipal vehicles for snow cleaning and removal. Its range of products encompasses compact and truck mounted sweepers, airport cleaning and snow removal equipment and grit and salt spreaders. In Australia, the array of products is complemented by refuse collection vehicles. It has production facilities in; Australia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Latvia,South Korea, Switzerland, and the UK. The UK Division is Johnston Sweepers which was aquired in 2005.www.johnstonsweepers.com Kuhn Group Kuhn Group is a leading manufacturer of specialised agricultural machinery for tillage, seeding, fertilisation, spraying, landscape maintenance, hay and forage harvesting, livestock bedding and feeding. The division has production facilities located in; Brazil, France, the Netherlands, and the USA.www.kuhnsa.com Emhart Glass Emhart Glass is a leading supplier of advanced technologies for manufacturing and inspecting glass containers. Its product range and services cover a full servive for the glass container industry. Emhart Glass is headquartered in Switzerland and has a R&D centre in the USA. The division's manufacturing plants are located in Italy, Malaysia, Sweden, and the USA. Model range ;Machinery * Cultivators * Horticultural * Hay making * Motor mowers ** In 1934 a Horse drawn mower with an axillary engine to drive the cutter was introduced. * Fruit presses * Plastic moulding machinery Distributors for * McCormick machinery * Kuhn * Fiat Tractor Company See also * List of Engine Manufacturers * List of Types of Agricultural Machinery * Special Purpose Machines References / sources * Tractors of Europe, by Andrew Morland and Peter Henshaw * Traktorlexicon - Bucher (in german) Weblinks * Official web site Category:Companies of Switzerland Category:Companies founded in 1807 Category:Parent companies of groups Category:Bucher Category:Former tractor manufacturers Category:Holding companies Category:Agricultural machinery manufacturers Category:Companies founded in 1807